January 1, January 2 BANG! starts the new year!

Wow!  what a start to the new year!  LeighAnn's party was so much fun... we had about 10 people+, and wayyyyy too much food!  LOL better to have too much food, than not enough, in my book!  I was up until about 1:45 putting things away, and getting things in the dishwasher to start it.... I was sooo tired!  Then when I finally went to bed my brain wouldn't shut off, and didn't even BEGIN to try to sleep until 3ish... when the storms hit and Paige ended up in our room a couple times scared by the thunder and wind.  It always scares her any more since the flood.  Any rain - especially at night - and she is in our room, or better yet she and dad go watch the weather on tv.....  It was a definite BANG! to the beginning of the year.

LeighAnn (14 yo) is having a fun new year too!  Well, it is a learning time for all of us, I should say!  LOL  She is our oldest child.. a girl at that.... and a young man has decided he wants to date her.  Had he been a freshman as well, maybe it wouldn't have been so bad, but, he is a Junior, which is just so scary!  That brings a whole 'nuther dimension of things that can be done  (driving, going out dates, prom, etc).... and we are probably being WAY over protective, but that's what we are being right now......  He is welcome over here as much as he wants to be until we can "trust" him.... then... maybe BIG group dates, etc..... but.... geez!  So many emotions running through me right now, it's just insane!  I can't imagine what it's doing to HER!  Well, I guess we just work through it together, right?  We also told him (in hopes he would chicken out I think!) that he had to ask us if he could date our daughter.... it took him 2 full days to finally do it!  NYE, and then NYD!

Yes, I said New Years Day.... He left without asking NYE, but I told him he was welcome back any time, so the next day he asked if he could come over (or did she ask him... I don't know) but we said 3 pm, he asked for 5... so LeighAnn cooked dinner for him!  It was hysterical!  She is not my chef, but she made chicken casserole , green beans with bacon and brown sugar, and we bought rolls and cake....it wasn't horrible..... LOL  I look forward to more of those nights where I don't have to cook (or clean!  she cleaned the house because he was coming!  hmmmmm maybe this is a goooood thing afterall!  LOL)  He stayed until 10:45... and finally asked....so.... she has an official boyfriend to start off the new year!  wow.... LOL

Today (the 2nd) we skipped church (yeah, bad, our neighbor- Wayne- the minister of music at our church, called to make sure we were ok!  LOL) because we went to Scott's Cousin's house because their grandson was having a birthday party, and he just REALLY wanted to have the girls there... he just loves them to death....he's 9... girls are fun to play games with.....thing is... it's about 1.5 hrs away!  So... it was a long way....but not as long as I thought it was going to be.. and it was sooo worth it!  the company was just so much fun!  We had a BLAST!

We have been going and going and going for the last 4 days or so... so I finally was able to take down the tree tonight.....the corner looks soooo bare..... but it's nice to have open space for a while.....  We got the family room all cleaned out so it's ready for me to finish/paint the walls,  and for us to do the floors..... it was nice to get all of that out of the room too!  The kids had SO MUCH fun at the party using chalk on the walls and floors and made some great pictures for us to enjoy until we can get it finished.....